[Avodah] FW: chemotherapy

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, January 20, 2008 3:36 pm, R Michael Makovi wrote:
: Regarding other laws, I think the difference is whether
:
: a) Chazal said, because of such-and-such a situation, we are laying
: down a law, period. Even if the situation passes, the law remains.
:
: b) Chazal said, such-and-such a law is being made with the assumption
: of a certain situation prevailing. If the situation ceases to prevail,
: so does the law.
:
: Obviously, to distinguish these is a task for the posek.

The question is actually one of rivadim... Is the reason included in
the original statement of the taqanah, or provided by the gemarah
after a  "close quote" marking the end of the citation of the taqanah.

The question of basar kafui depends on whether the requirement to wash
the meat down regularly (within 3 days) is a pesaq or a gezeirah, and
if a gezeirah, whether the words of the original gezeirah included the
bit about otherwise melichah will never get out all the blood.

When dealing with pesaqim, it becomes more a question of whether the
given reason is the only relevant one. (And whether the change in
scientific knowledge is relavent. The discovery of microscopic mites
in drinking water was not.)

I have a blog entry on ways halakhah can change (or seem to) at
<http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2007/11/halachic-change.shtml>.

I already replied to RAM's post on this thread, but I see I missed a
point I had planned on making. On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:27:15 GMT, he
wrote:
> May I suggest the following: There are stories of certain individuals
> in the concentration camps who fasted throughout all of Pesach, for
> lack of chometz-free food. One could argue that this was a violation
> of Pikuach Nefesh, but they could answer that it was a temporary
> Horaas Shaah, to help inspire the others and uplift them.

Beshe'as hashemad, one is permitted to endanger one's life over
shoelace color, if that's part of Jewish norm. Chameitz, lo kol
shekein. I don't think we need to invoke hora'as sha'ah or eis la'asos
for it.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
http://www.aishdas.org   you must know where to slaughter and what
Fax: (270) 514-1507      parts to offer.        - R' Simcha Zissel Ziv